Snoop65 wrote:Glad to hear that you finally figured out cables sound different .

Hehe...

Man, I'll tell you one thing. The cat I bought them from said that moving up from the Ultras to the Reference was pretty major and I didn't know what he was talking about because I couldn't think of anything that really needed improvement. Well, he was right and apparently there were a lot of things that needed improvement that I wasn't even aware of. Transparent has now hit 3 for 3 in my rig and I will be getting a second Reference IC pair to go between the Dodd and the Musical Fidelity amplifier. The Ultras will be used for the two subs and all of my other IC's will be put up for sale shortly.

When I say musical, I mean just that. It will be difficult to describe what it is I'm now being blessed with but I can say with complete certainty that I have never been closer to the real thing. The texture, detail and just plain realism of instruments and their placement is surreal. There is so much more detail in something as simple as an organ that I never knew was there before. It's almost unreal. I can only imagine what lies ahead as I listen to more and more musical selections but I'm looking forward to every blissful moment of it.

Just another quick observation, my sound stage has increased to well beyond double the distance that's between the speakers. More later....

In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence.

The best way to enjoy digital music reproduction is to never listen to a good analogue reproduction.

Robert R. - "Did you see my North Korea analogy? I should have named it Carversite.kim"

Well good luck T3. I have to say though I think you will have a tough time finding a new production tube that can match a good NOS tube. There is nothing like walking the walk yourself. Enjoy the music!!!

Ah, crap Snoop. I somehow didn't provide the link to the tubes I was interested in. That might have helped. Here they are...

From Galen Carol...

EAT Cool Valve ECC803S (12AX7) Ultra Premium Vacuum Tube

The Cool Valve ECC 803S is the finest twin triode with separate cathodes available in today’s market.

The most demanding tube for both sound and build quality is Telefunken ECC 803S. These can now only be be sourced from old inventories and often from unreliable sources offering no warranty period. There is also the significant risk of forgeries, poor performance or overpriced goods.

Using this tube as a benchmark, EAT set out to design a tube with even better performance. With their extensive expertise, great care in manufacture and rigorous testing and grading, they appear to have achieved their goal in the Cool Valve ECC 803S.

The selection procedure uses several measurements. All measurements are performed after a long burn-in procedure and thermal stabilization of its parameters. Only a few valves pass the selection process and even fewer pass the strict Diamond selection.

The inseparable part of the Cool Valve ECC 803S is the EAT Cool Damper. EAT developed a special high temperature glue to affix the damper to the valve glass envelope. This glue is designed to transform vibration energy into thermal energy, which is then dissipated as heat. The Cool Damper is a truly effective anti-vibration and anti-microphonic device.

From Music Direct...

These Tubes Will Beat Any NOS Tubes! The Best We've Heard!

The new European-built 12AX7 (ECC-803S) triode tube from EAT is absolutely unbelievable. We have tried them in everything from phono preamps to line stages and amplifi ers. The results have absolutely knocked us out! Built to the tightest tolerances, these tubes are super low noise – dead quiet actually! All tubes are burned-in, then tested to ensure perfect matching and thermal stabilization. The Cool Valve tubes include the EAT Tube Dampers for dissipating vibration, as well. Rated for a lifespan of 10,000 hours, these tubes have beat the pants off our NOS (New Old Stock) input tubes. Expensive but worth every penny… guaranteed!

I have no idea what these will sound like. I already told you that I have a full compliment of the Ei 12AX7 gold pin tubes and they sound fantastic on my current rig but they will all have to be replaced in the next couple of years, as they have many hours on them. While the end result is of utmost importance, the availability of the tubes is another. As time marches on, tubes become increasingly rare and the price reflects this. I hate paying extra for things just because something is rare....and one day, those too will have to be replaced. These may be quite a bit more than what I paid for the Ei's but since they are based off of the Telefunken ECC 803S, I'm looking at it like I'm paying less for a rare Telefunken tube that will still be available years from now. If I don't like the sound when I get them, I always have the 30 day return policy to fall back on but I'm hoping that will not be the case.

Here's what I would be paying if I were to actually get the Telefunken 803S

At those prices, it would cost me $2,600.00 just to get a set for the Jolida. $7,800.00 for a full compliment in my rig. Screw that! As far as finding a set of new tubes that sound better than NOS tubes? I have auditioned some new tubes here and there and some of the new tubes do sound better than NOS tubes. A perfect example would be the tubes DaveS has on the Silver Seven's. I forget what brand they are but they definitely have left a favorable impression on every amplifier I have heard them in. I guess what it is I'm trying to say is that I'm stubborn, I have already made up my mind and I'm kinda forcing myself to walk the walk. Now whether or not that's a good thing remains to be seen.

In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence.

The best way to enjoy digital music reproduction is to never listen to a good analogue reproduction.

Robert R. - "Did you see my North Korea analogy? I should have named it Carversite.kim"

You would be crazy to buy a preamp tube for a grand. Do some research there are lots of vintage tubes to be had at reasonable prices. There are OEM Telefunken 12ax7 smooth grey plates badged as Fishers that can be had for about $100.00 bucks for a pair and sound incredible. My favorite GE 5751 black plate triple micas go for about $70-80 . All my tubes were purchased off audiogon, ebay, and tctubes.com. I have Amperex USM white label 6922's that I got for about $220 for the pair. Deals are out there you just have to hunt and know what you are looking for.

Scroll down a bit and you will see a list of tubes and their sound qualities, along with some other valuable information about the tube. You may have already seen this but I thought I'd throw it out there anyways.

In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence.

The best way to enjoy digital music reproduction is to never listen to a good analogue reproduction.

Robert R. - "Did you see my North Korea analogy? I should have named it Carversite.kim"

T3- with as many tubes as you need you may want to start with the 5751 Black Plates- a great starting point. It is a very musical tube for a decent price. Next I would recommend the Amperex, larger soundstage, just a tad more clinical....then the TFN's which produce the largest soundstage with the airiest sound. Roll them a pair at a time as there are many possible combinations just with these 3 tubes that I am sure you will find a sound that is most pleasing to you! Enjoy the adventure Tom!

Good sound—like good music, good wine and good fellowship—is meant to be shared."The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits" Albert Einstein

Chauss wrote:T3- with as many tubes as you need you may want to start with the 5751 Black Plates- a great starting point. It is a very musical tube for a decent price. Next I would recommend the Amperex, larger soundstage, just a tad more clinical....then the TFN's which produce the largest soundstage with the airiest sound. Roll them a pair at a time as there are many possible combinations just with these 3 tubes that I am sure you will find a sound that is most pleasing to you! Enjoy the adventure Tom!

Hey, now we are only down to $5400.00 for a full compliment of tubes for the rig! Thanks, I'm on it! Ordering now!!!

OK, maybe not. That's still a little too steep for my wallet. Maybe one day I can get the real thing but I'm hoping these EAT tubes will offer what they say they can. An unnamed member of this forum has offered to send me some tubes. GE five star 5751 black plate triple mica tubes to be exact. I'll go ahead and give 'em a whirl and report back.

In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence.

The best way to enjoy digital music reproduction is to never listen to a good analogue reproduction.

Robert R. - "Did you see my North Korea analogy? I should have named it Carversite.kim"